Throughout history, humans have pondered the question of their existence. In nearly every society, part of the answer has included some form of god or goddess involved in the creation of the universe.
This encyclopedia was compiled to give the general reader and scholars easy access to a broad range of mythologies related to deities. In addition to ancient deities, other mythology is included that will facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the deities — so there are entries for spirits, places, festivals, sacred objects, heroes, monsters, demigods and mythical beasts.
The research was extensive, covering a century of book publishing activity. We made use of a large personal library, collected over many years, on this topic. Research was carried out in a number of libraries outside the United States, and the Bibliography includes citations to many books published in those countries. As a result the reader will find deities often missing from standard collections, notably from the Inuit, Native American and African cultures.
At over 10,000 entries, this is the most comprehensive collection of information on this topic. The primary name of the deity is followed by alternate spellings or translations of the primary name. Then in parentheses the group of people (tribes, cultures, civilizations or people who lived in a geographic region) who recognized the deity or mythology is named. All alternate names are then given. All alternate names and alternate spellings are cross-referenced. An explanation of the origin, history and function of the subject of the entry is followed by any needed cross-references to guide the reader to related topics.
A comprehensive index permits direct access to any name by any of its spelling variants, as well as to the religions, cultures and places identified in the text. Also indexed are subjects, especially including those with which a deity is associated; a reader may, for example, locate goddesses of lightning or gods represented by toads by consulting the respective entries in the index.
My coauthor, Charles Coulter, passed away in 1997 shortly after we delivered this manuscript, which had occupied much of his time and mental energy during his last ten years. I am deeply grateful for his effort.
PATRICIA TURNER • August 1999